Bulkhead for refrigerator cars



Oct. 18, 1938. v. E. SISSON BULKHEAD FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed March 51, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l if; g 5w y 1 W 1 7 .4. w J J l a j g z a Oct. 18, 1938. v. E. SISSON 2,133,722

BULKHEAD FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed March 51, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Avavnvnvnvnp: "It";

b lading compartment.

Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mesne assignments, to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a. corporation of Delaware Application March 31, 1937,- Serial No. 133939 6 Claims.

This invention relates to railway refrigerator cars and more specifically to bulkheads therefor which extend between the side walls of the car and separate the refrigerant chamber from the Such bulkheads are provided with openings adjacent the floor and ceiling respectively of the car for air circulation between the refrigerant chamber and lading compartrnent. The bulkhead is usually insulated on the side of the lading compartment and between the openings to prevent direct induction of heat through the bulkhead.

The object of the invention is to arrange and associate the component parts of the bulkhead to obtain great strength and at the same time obtain a relatively large flue area for circulati'ng air; both of which increase the volume of available space within the car which maybe used in eitherthe lading compartment or the refrigerant chamber.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a typical refrigerator car showing the relation of a bulkhead to the other parts of the car.

Fig. 2' shows a top plan view of my bulkhead and a vertical wall of the car.

Fig; 3 shows a vertical cross section of my bulkhead adjacent the top (or bottom) thereof.

Fig- 4 shows. a. horizontal cross section of my bulkhead adjacent the middle thereof.

Fig, 5 is a horizontal cross section of my bulkhead and the adjacent wall of the car.

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of my bulkhead.

My improved bulkhead A comprises a metallic plate having alternating portions 23 in spaced substantially parallel planes connected by vertical webs 4 which preferably extend to the edges of the plate. Ordinary corrugated plates are included in this description. A wire netting, mesh or some foraminous metal 5 is secured to the metallic plate on the side of the refrigerant chamber B to prevent the crushed ice, or other refrigerant, from choking the spaces 6 between the vertical webs, and an insulated wall is secured to the bulkhead on the side of the lading compartment C. I In the form shown the insulated wall comprises inner lining 1, and outer lining 8 with an insulation 9 therebetween.

The spaces 6 between the vertical webs 4 form vertical flues which communicate with the openings above and below the bulkhead for the downward movement of warm air which is cooled by the ice, or other refrigerant. The portions 2 on the refrigerant side B are preferably apertured at Hi toallow cold air from the refrigerant chamber to enter the fines 6 Such a formed plate constitutes a series of vertical beams which transmit any horizontally imposed load thereon totheir opposite ends and in order to carry such loads to the opposite walls D- of the car I provide a built up truss at the upper and lower edges of the plate (and also therebetween if desirable) which are secured to the opposite walls D; for instance, by the flanges H' and bolts l2.

' Each truss comprises a pair of aligned straps Iii-i l (fiat or angular) secured to the opposite sides of the metallic plate, which straps extend between and are secured to the opposite walls D of the car so that the straps I 3-l l theportions 2 and 3 and the several Webs 4 combine to form a truss. A horizontal load imposed upon the plate from the lading compartment C, such as caused" by a shifting lading, would cause the strap I3 in the refrigerant side B toact in tension and the strap M in' the compartment side 0' to act in' compression and the webs 4 would constitute struts therebetween. A force from the refrigerant side B would reverse the action of the straps.

In a similar manner the insulated wall may be secured to the compartment side C of the metallic plate and. the wire netting: 5' may be secured to the refrigerant side of the metallic plate to act as compression and tension members respectively of a truss, and in such a construction, the webs 4 would constitute the struts. In a completed bulkhead the straps l3l4; webs 4; insulated wall and wire netting 5 would all cooperate to form a very strong truss structure and a very strong bulkhead.

The metallic fo-raminous wall or netting may extend only between and be secured to adjacent portions of the metallic plate, (that is, either the adjacent webs 4 or the adjacent portions 2) on the refrigerant side thereof, as shown especially in Fig. 4. The foraminous wall or netting is preferably in alignment with the portions 2 of the metallic plate. I prefer to weld (l5) this netting to the metallic plate to obtain a stronger attachment, eliminate loose parts and retard corrosion,

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car, a bulkhead extending between the opposite walls of the car and separating a refrigerant chamber from a lading compartment with openings above and below said bulkhead for air circulation between the chamber and the compartment, said bulkhead comprising a metallic plate having alternate portions in spaced substantially parallel planes connected by vertical webs to provide vertical flues com municating with said openings, an insulated wall so secured to said portions on the side of the lading compartment as to provide stifieners between the webs, and a metallic foraminous wall so secured to said portions on the side of the refrigerant chamber as to provide tiesbetween adjacent webs whereby said walls, said portions and said Webs combine to provide a truss between the opposite walls of the car to resist horizontal thrusts.

2. In a refrigerator car, a bulkhead extending between the opposite walls of the car and separating a refrigerant chamber from a lading compartment with openings above and below said bulkhead for air circulation between the chamber and the compartment, said bulkhead comprising a metallic plate having alternate portions in spaced substantially parallel planes connected by vertical webs to provide vertical flues communicating with said openings, an insulated wall on the side of the lading compartment, and a metallic foraminous wall on the side of the refrigerant chamber, said walls so attached to said metallic plate as to combine therewith to provide a truss between the opposite walls of the car to resist horizontal thrusts.

3. In a refrigerator car, a bulkhead extending between the opposite walls of the car and separating a refrigerant chamber from a lading compartment with openings above and below said bulkhead for air circulation between the chamber and the compartment, said bulkhead comprising a metallic plate having alternate portions in spaced substantially parallel planes connected by vertical webs to provide vertical fiues communicating with said openings, an insulated wall on the side of the lading compartment, and metallic foraminous walls extending between and secured to adjacent portions of the metallic plate on the refrigerant chamber side of the bulkhead.

4. In a refrigerator car, a bulkhead extending between the opposite walls of the car and separating a refrigerant chamber from a lading compartment with openings above and below said bulkhead for air circulation between the chamber and the compartment, said bulkhead comprising a metallic plate having alternate portions in spaced substantially parallel planes connected by vertical webs to provide vertical flues com- 7 municating with said openings, an insulated wall partment with openings above and below saidbulkhead for air circulation between the chamber and the compartment, said bulkhead comprising a metallic plate having alternating portions in spaced substantially parallel planes connected by vertical webs to provide vertical flues communicating with said openings, and pairs of aligned straps extending between and secured to said opposite walls, said straps so secured to opposite sides of the metallic plate adjacent the top and bottom respectively thereof that said straps and webs cooperate to provide trusses between said opposite walls to resist horizontal thrusts.

6. In a refrigerator car, a bulkhead extending between the opposite walls of the car and separating a refrigerant chamber from a lading compartment with openings above and below said bulkhead for air circulation between the chamber and the compartment, said bulkhead comprising a metallic plate having alternating portions in spaced substantially parallel planes connected by vertical webs to provide vertical flues communicating with said openings, and a pair of aligned straps extending between and secured to said opposite walls, said straps so secured to opposite sides of the metallic plate that said straps and said Webs cooperate to provide a truss between said opposite walls to resist horizontal thrusts.

VINTON E. SISSON. 

